In an announcement to staff members, Publisher Ken Mauser explained that the plan is designed to help the Journal Star offset rising expenses faced by newspapers throughout the country.

For business continuity purposes, the offer will not be extended to all full-time employees. Mauser said there is no “predetermined target for reductions.” About 220 employees are eligible for the package. The Journal Star currently has 281 full-time employees.
The move mirrors buyouts offered throughout the industry, including numerous metropolitan newspapers like the Chicago Tribune and the New York Times. The package includes one week of severance pay for every year of service. The maximum payout is 26 weeks. Medical benefits would continue through the payout period.

Mauser cited rising newsprint and health care costs as contributing factors, as well as the current economic climate.

“Although the Peoria economy seems to be holding up better than the rest of the nation, we are not immune from some of the rising costs which face the industry and nation as a whole,” the publisher said.

Not all employees who express interest in the offer will be selected. Final decisions will be based upon a variety of business factors as determined by the needs of the newspaper.

“We will see what the interest level is and from which departments before making any final decisions,” Mauser said.

This is the first I heard of this ... and I am a full-time employee at the Journal Star. I am unsure if I qualify for the buyout. Not that I would take it anyway, given I've been full-time for less than five years.

This is the first I heard of this ... and I am a full-time employee at the Journal Star. I am unsure if I qualify for the buyout. Not that I would take it anyway, given I've been full-time for less than five years.